Surprise Addition
by EmonyDeborah
Summary: Ellie and Qasim get an impossible surprise. Qasim is alive, Kate is alive, Kibbs, Ellie/Qasim, implied Torres/Abby; set in late season 15
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of these characters

"Ellie, would you please stop that?" Eleanor Naasir quickly withdrew her hand from her friend's face, wincing guiltily.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, I can't help it." She frowned. "I just-I have this irresistible urge to clean things." Alex Quinn raised her eyebrows, her mouth open.

"My hair is clean. I washed it yesterday." Ellie rolled her eyes at her friend's veiled sarcasm.

"I know, it's just-" she reached forward hesitantly "-it's in your face." Alex smacked her hand away.

"Ellie!"

"I know! I'm stopping." Both women looked up as their coworker walked into the bullpen. Kate Gibbs had taken Tony's desk when he had left two years before, but she had not taken over as senior field agent.

"The senior field agent can't leave at three o'clock everyday to pick up her kids," she had said. "And it looks bad if she's married to the boss." Now, she was taking off her coat and putting it on her chair. "Morning, ladies."

"Morning, Kate," Alex called. She and Kate were friends, but it had taken them awhile. It was in Kate's nature to take everything seriously, and working with Gibbs had only strengthened that character quality. Conversely, it was in Alex's nature to question everything she was told, which made her a great investigator and teacher, but she was a terrible person to test jokes on. The two women had not complimented each other at first, butting heads about who to trust and when, but eventually they had learned to trust each other's instincts. Of course, a few headslaps and glares may have played a part.

"Hey, Kate." Ellie was an entirely different matter. When she had left the NSA to work at NCIS, the team had still been smarting from the loss of Ziva David. Kate had been particularly hostile to anyone she judged as trying to take Ziva's place. Being three months pregnant had not helped her general mood, either. But in time, she had come to accept Ellie as valuable to the team, and had protective, older sister kinds of feelings for the young woman.

Kate noticed that Ellie was leaning on Quinn's desk, and wondered if she had interrupted something.

"Something up?"

Alex responded. "Ellie's grooming me," she stated matter-of-factly. Kate raised her eyebrows, obviously confused, but nodded, accepting her coworkers' bizarre behavior.

"Oh-kay..." She looked down at her desk and frowned. "What happened to my stuff?"

"I organized your desk," Ellie answered promptly, looking around. "I organized everyone's desks. Except Gibbs." She paused. "I didn't want to mess up his system."

"Smart move," Alex said in a low voice. Kate stared, torn between outrage and confusion.

"His system? What about my system?" she exclaimed.

"You have a system?" Ellie asked, seemingly genuinely surprised.

"Had. Past tense," Kate responded sarcastically. Ellie rolled her eyes at her friend's tone. "Hey!" Ellie pushed herself off of Quinn's desk. As she was walking across the bullpen to her own, Kate's eyes met Quinn's, hoping for an explanation, but Quinn just shrugged, obviously just as confused by their coworker's behavior as she was. They both looked at Ellie as she reached into her desk and pulled something out of a drawer.

"Well,"she began, watching them watching her, "I found these in Nick's desk. I could share." It was a bag of Dove chocolates. Kate smiled sweetly, any anger apparently forgotten.

"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" Ellie smiled and held out the bag. Kate grinned and clapped her hands a little before moving out from behind her desk and over to Ellie's. At the same time, Quinn vaulted out of her seat and joined the other two at Ellie's desk. All three took a chocolate and ate it, momentarily closing their eyes in bliss.

"Ah, that's good," Ellie sighed, her eyes still closed. Kate made a guttural noise that sounded like an agreement, as Alex moaned, "Mm-hmm," beside her. After a moment, Alex swallowed and looked at Ellie while taking another piece.

"So, when's Qasim getting back from Gitmo?"

"Two hours and thirty-seven minutes," Ellie answered promptly, also reaching for another piece. The other two stared at her incredulously. She looked up at their silence, meeting their amused eyes. She blushed. "I missed him," she said, defensiveness creeping into her tone.

"Ok," Kate said soothingly, trying not to laugh as she glanced at Quinn. "I understand. I'm the same way when Jethro has to travel." Alex and Ellie winced in unison.

"Ka-ate," Ellie whined, her eyes closed. Kate looked back and forth between her friends' aggravated faces.

"Fine. When Gibbs has to travel." Alex and Ellie nodded, relaxing, and all three women took another piece of chocolate.

"You know, technically, I'm Gibbs, too."

"I know, but you won't let us call you Lady Gibbs," Ellie explained with a smile as Kate rolled her eyes before glaring at her.

"Yeah, well, when I can call you Lady Naasir, we'll talk." Ellie shuddered dramatically.

"I could go for that," Alex interjected, while taking yet another piece of chocolate. Kate and Ellie looked at her, Kate questioning, Ellie somewhat suspiciously. Alex looked up and, reading their faces, quickly elaborated," The lady part, not the Naasir part."

The others nodded, and after a moment, Ellie said teasingly," Yeah, you'd be Lady Torres." Kate snorted and Alex groaned.

"Lady Torres? Are you two ever going to get over that?" she asked as the others snickered. "I'm not going to be Lady Torres."

Kate grinned as she replied, "No, Abby will probably take that." The other two froze, and Alex dropped the chocolate she was holding.

"Take what, Kate?" Gibbs asked as he swept into the bullpen in his usual fashion.

"Some chocolate, Jethro. Think she'd want some?" she took another piece, still smiling at her friends' stunned expressions.

"Some what?" Nick Torres asked as he and Tim McGee walked in behind Gibbs. "Hey, is that my chocolate?"

"No," the three women answered in unison, smiling secretly at each other as Torres walked hurriedly to his desk and opened a drawer.

"Hey! That is my chocolate!"

"Were you ever going to eat it?" Kate asked innocently.

"I was thinking about it," Nick replied, disappointment etched on his features.

"Well, you should have thought faster," Ellie said in a mock-scolding tone. McGee, who had been watching the whole exchange with amusement, began to put his coat and bag down and prepare for the work day when he noticed that nothing on his desk was where he had left it the night before.

"What happened to my desk?" he asked no one in particular, before looking to Kate for an explanation.

His eyes darted to Ellie as she responded,"I organized it." Tim looked to Alex and Kate for an answer to his new, unspoken question, but found none.

"It was organized."

"Well, now it's more organized," Ellie retorted, with her signature bottom-lip-jutting-out expression that meant she was feeling defensive. After a moment, she relaxed slightly and continued, "I also cleaned your keyboard." Again, Tim looked to Alex and Kate for an explanation, but they both shrugged. Three pairs of eyes darted to Ellie's face when she suddenly winced and bent forward slightly.

"You ok?" Alex asked in a low voice, rubbing Ellie's arm soothingly.

"Yeah, just-" Ellie's face scrunched up in discomfort "-cramps." Kate and Alex looked at each other, obviously concerned, but everyone was distracted when Clayton Reeves walked off the elevator to his desk.

"Morning, everyone," he called, his distinct accent distorting the words pleasantly.

"Morning, Clayton," everyone chorused back, except for Gibbs, who said, "Hey, Reeves," before taking a sip of coffee.

Taking in the little gathering around Ellie's desk, Clayton asked, "Hey, Ellie, isn't Qasim getting back today?"

"Yep. In two hours and thirty-five minutes." Ellie looked around and blushed when she met six incredulous stares. "I really missed him," she elaborated in an embarrassed tone, before wincing again.

"All right, what's up? This isn't normal, is it?" Kate asked quietly, unease in her brown eyes.

Ellie shook her head. "No." Kate bit her lip, deliberating for a split-second before turning towards her own desk.

"I'm calling Ducky."

"No, that's not necessary, I'm ok, really-" Ellie insisted, but Kate whipped around and fixed her with a stare. Ellie shrank back. "If it'll make you feel better..."

"The point is to make you feel batter," Kate responded tersely as she picked up her phone."Hello, Ducky? Could you come upstairs for a minute? I want you to take a look at Ellie." Kate nodded, obviously having gotten an affirmative response. "Thanks, Ducky." She hung up, and then continued to stare at Ellie, daring her to move or contest her concern. Ellie kept her mouth shut tight and stared at the ground as Quinn continued to rub her arm. Ducky appeared a moment later, and bustled over to Ellie's desk.

"Now, my dear, what seems to be the problem?" he asked kindly.

"Nothing, Ducky, it's just cramps-"

Kate interrupted. "She keeps wincing, Ducky. She's never done that before." Ducky nodded wisely, and then narrowed his eyes in concern as Ellie's face scrunched again.

"I see. Where are you feeling the most discomfort?" Ellie placed both hands over her nearly flat stomach, just below her bellybutton. Ducky nodded again, and placed one of his own hands over the specified area. After a moment, Ellie winced again, and Ducky's eyes widened. He looked up (even the petite Ellie was taller than Ducky) and said in a shocked tone,"My dear Eleanor, I believe you're in labor."


	2. Chapter 2

Dixie Dewdrop: Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. Yes, Kate is alive, and married to Gibbs. Ellie is Eleanor, and I changed her last name from Bishop to Naasir because in this fic she's married to Qasim.

"What?" Ellie gasped, as beside her, Alex's eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

"I believe you're giving birth."

"But that's impossible," Ellie stuttered, unable and unwilling to believe what she was hearing, what the man she trusted more than almost anyone was telling her.

"Not if the child is small-" A bolt of lightning went through Ellie upon hearing those words. _The child. My child._ _Qasim's child._ Ellie swallowed. _Our child._

Ducky kept talking. "-and if you experienced no morning sickness, you would have no reason to-Eleanor," he said, suddenly looking embarrassed. He continued in a much lower voice,"When was your last menstrual cycle?" Up until this point, Gibbs, McGee, Torres, Reeves, Quinn, and Kate had been listening with great interest and concern, but upon hearing Ducky's quiet words (for of course they were eavesdropping) the four men suddenly found they had very much to do and began rustling papers and drinking coffee loudly. Ellie turned red and winced again as another jolt of discomfort tore through her.

"Twenty-eight days ago."

Ducky frowned. "That is unusual, but not unheard of. Why, I knew a woman in Patching who came in telling us she had kidney stones, but upon examining her we discovered that she was 10 centimeters dilated and ready to push. She-"

"Ducky!" Kate barked. "Now is not the time." Ellie let out a strange keening sound somewhere between a groan and a whine, and Kate narrowed her eyes in worry. Alex was supporting most of her friend's weight by then, and tried to lower Ellie into her chair as another contraction hit her ( _I'm having contractions! I'm having a baby!)_. Kate bit her lip and started pacing.

"All right-Alex, you and Nick go pick up Qasim from the airport and bring him to Bethesda." Everyone turned their wide eyes on Kate, grateful that she was able to think coherently and give them instructions.

"Which gate?" Alex asked blankly, still holding Ellie's arm.

"You're a federal agent, figure it out!" Kate snapped. Alex shrank back slightly, before nodding and scurrying to her desk. Nick followed and leaned over her shoulder, an action that would have annoyed her to no end in any other situation. But in this case, she ignored it and began typing feverishly.

"Uh… Oh! Ellie!" Kate said sheepishly, remembering that getting Ellie to the hospital should be first on the to-do list. "Right, um, Clayton!" He turned to her, mouth gaping and eyes wide. "Drive Ellie to Bethesda."

"Me?" Clayton spluttered, obviously unsure how he was going to manage that task. His eyes darted to Ellie as she groaned again, then back to Kate, slightly panicky.

"No, the other guy named Clayton right behind you. Yes, you! Go!" Clayton grimaced but hurried to obey, gathering his coat and walking around the partition to Ellie's desk. Kate continued. "Ok, we've still got an infant car seat at home, I'll go get it and then I'm going to Ellie's apartment to pack a go-bag. Ellie, I need-"

"I have a go-bag," Ellie hissed through clenched teeth as Clayton pulled her to her feet. "It's in my car.

Kate stared at her for a minute before blinking and shaking her head slightly to clear it. "Of course you do," she said, a surprised frown still on her face. "All right, then I'll need your keys." Ellie gestured toward her desk, where she had dropped her keys upon arriving that morning. "Ok," Kate grabbed the keys, "thank you, Ellie. Now go." She made a shooing gesture towards the elevator. "Go!" Ellie searched Kate's face for a moment, so Kate smiled reassuringly. Or tried to, anyway. "Everything will be all right." Ellie watched her for a second more before nodding and allowing Clayton to drag her away. Kate watched until they were safely aboard, then turned to Gibbs and McGee, who were still staring at her.

"Jethro, we gave our extra crib to McBaby Ella, right? So we don't have an extra?" Gibbs nodded. "Ok, you and McGee go buy a crib, take it to Ellie and Qasim's apartment, and put it together." McGee's mouth dropped open.

"Buy a-"

"Yes, McGee, go buy a crib. And some sheets, too." By this point, Gibbs had grabbed his coat and his coffee and was walking out of the bullpen.

"On it," he announced, as he brushed past McGee. "McGee!" McGee jumped and gathered his own coat and hurried after his boss.

"Coming, Boss!" he called.

"Oh, Jethro!" Kate hollered after her husband. He stopped and turned back halfway, causing McGee to nearly run into him. Kate removed what appeared to be Ellie's apartment key from her carabiner full of keys. She threw it to Gibbs, and he grabbed it out of the air before turning and continuing towards the elevator. McGee scuttled after him.

"Got it!" Alex exclaimed from her desk. Nick jerked back at her sudden roar. "Flight 4726, Gate B4."

"Good job, now go." Kate ordered curtly. Quinn hopped up, grabbed her bag, and ran out of the bullpen, Torres trailing after her. Kate watched them go before turning and almost colliding with Ducky. "Ducky! I'm sorry, I forgot you were here."

"Oh, it's quite all right, my dear, you appeared to be 'in the zone.'" He chuckled a little at his use of "modern" language. "What can I do?"

"Um..." Kate was anxious to get going, she wanted to meet Ellie at the hospital before too long. "Oh!" She frowned guiltily, having realized she had overlooked something very important. "Can you tell Abby what's going on? She'll want to go to the hospital." Ducky nodded sagely. Indeed, Abby would be very excited and probably need someone sensible to keep her in check. "Thanks, Ducky," Kate said gratefully as she grabbed her coat and purse. She kissed him on the cheek. "Everything will be ok." Ducky looked up at her in surprise. He had thought he had kept his own anxiety out of his face, but it was very difficult to fool Kate, as she was a profiler. He smiled reassuringly.

"Of course it will, my dear." Kate nodded, trying to take comfort from his words and not quite managing. "Now, off you go." Kate took a step and then stopped, looking back at Ducky. He smiled again and squeezed her elbow, attempting to comfort her. She smiled back at him, then slipped out from behind her desk and out of the bullpen. She pressed the call button on the elevator and looked back at Ducky again. He waved cheerfully. She smiled falteringly, then nodded and stepped into the elevator.

Ducky sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and headed toward the stairs to break the news to a certain, excitable lab tech.

 **A/N:** Did you like it? I'm new to writing, and I would very much appreciate any tips you have for me. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

"Uh, Boss, what about his one?" Gibbs and McGee were at Babies R Us, looking through the aisles for a crib. They had already found a set of sheets. McGee had stared, jaw hanging, watching his boss, the glaring-staring-headslapping-former-marine, as he looked through shelves of baby stuff, finally deciding on the sheets with little ducks and elephants on it.

"What, Tim?" he had growled, noticing his subordinate's stare.

"N-nothing, Boss," Tim had stuttered, then he had gulped as Gibbs tilted his head. Gibbs had glared at him for a moment, before brushing past him, heading toward the crib section. Tim hadn't seen his boss's small grin.

He wasn't grinning now, as he examined the crib Tim had pointed out. "For Bishop's baby?" Gibbs still called Ellie 'Bishop,' even though she had been married for nearly a year and was technically 'Naasir.' Tim was confused for a moment as he looked over the crib again. It looked fine to him, 3'3"x2'9", white, one-and-a-half inch bars each separated by three inches, three feet and six inches tall. He glanced at his boss, took in his raised eyebrows, and realized he was missing something. 'For Bishop's baby' Gibbs had said…

Even after working under the man for fourteen years, Tim still didn't understand Gibbs. What was he missing? The crib looked fine, Ellie would probably like it—Ellie! What would she think of this crib? Tim looked at the small bed with new eyes, and realized what his boss meant. Sure, it looked fine to him, but Ellie would probably have conniptions if anyone even suggested putting her baby in it. He could almost hear her. "The spaces are too wide! What if he sticks his hand or leg out and gets stuck? And it isn't tall enough. Sure, he's small now, but when he gets taller it will be simple for him to climb out and hurt himself." Tim winced at the Ellie-voice in his head, and nodded at his boss, conveying he understood.

"Right." Tim kept looking. "Hey, Boss, how about this one?"

Gibbs' response was gruff. "Which one McGee?" Tim pointed. This one was 3'3"x2'8", black, and the two-and-a-half inch bars were each separated by two inches of space. It was three feet and nine inches tall. Gibbs looked over it with a cursory eye, and then nodded. He clapped McGee on the shoulder.

"Good choice, Tim."

 **Airport**

"Hey, there he is-Qasim!" Alex called over the sea of people. She and Nick had been waiting at the airport for an hour and a half. Shortly after they arrived and settled in to wait, Alex had gotten a text from Kate saying she had gotten the car seat and put it in Ellie's Toyota, and that she had driven Ellie's car to the hospital. That was the last news they had gotten, and both NCIS agents were anxious to get to the hospital and see Ellie.

"Qasim!" Torres yelled, and saw the dark-skinned man turn his head towards them. He fought his way through the hordes of reuniting families and stopped in front of them.

"Where's Ellie? Is something wrong?" Quinn and Torres glanced at each other, unsure of how to proceed. Qasim noticed their short look, and the corners of his mouth tightened with worry. "What is it?"

Nick cleared his throat. "How about you sit down, man." Qasim, glancing between the two of them, slowly obeyed, confused and wary.

"Ok, uh..." Alex was wringing her hands and pacing. She suddenly sat down next to Qasim and leaned toward him. He flinched back slightly. Alex took a deep breath. "Ellie's at the hospital." Qasim's eyes widened as his heart began to pound.

"What? What happened? Was she shot?" Alex waved him into silence.

"No, no, nothing like that." Alex pinched the bridge of her nose between her forefinger and thumb, and then continued, brandishing her hands. "Ellie's in labor." Qasim's muscles froze, and it was a moment before he could respond.

"That's...impossible. She-" He stopped, unable to go on. It was impossible. Wasn't it?

"That's what Ellie said," Nick inserted, smiling slightly. Alex glared at him, pursing her lips. He suddenly found something fascinating to look at on his left shoe, and Alex turned back to Qasim.

"It's not impossible. We're here to drive you to the hospital." Qasim stared at her for a moment, then he swallowed.

"All right," he said, his voice an octave higher than normal.

Alex twisted her head to look him directly in his eyes. He was shocked, obviously, and Alex was concerned for him, but she just pointed out the door and said in a low voice, "Ok, the car is this way..."

 **Hospital**

"Ellie?" Kate called into the room. She had arrived almost two hours ago, and a few minutes ago Ellie had said she was thirsty. "I have your water."

"Come in," Ellie called softly. Kate walked in, and was struck anew at how small the blonde woman looked. She was wearing a hospital gown, and sitting up in one of the small beds. Her eyes were darting all over the room, and her hands had twisted a corner of the white blanket into a rope. She was clearly agitated. Clayton was sitting in an uncomfortable-looking chair at the side of the room, his hands clenched together in his lap. "Thanks, Kate." Her face contorted in pain as another contraction swept over her. After a few seconds, she relaxed and fell back against her pillows. "The doctor came again."

"You really should get an ultrasound," Kate said in a soothing tone. "Here." She held the water bottle against Ellie's lips, and rubbed her back as she drank.

After swallowing, Ellie shook her head, her eyes closed. "No. I want Qasim to be here."

"Well-" Kate's phone buzzed. "Hold on a second." She unlocked her phone and read the text message. She nodded once, then locked her phone and put it away.

When Kate failed to say anything, Ellie sat up a little and frowned. "What? Who was that?"

"It was Nick. He and Alex have picked up Qasim and they're on their way. They should be here in about twenty minutes." Ellie drank in her words like a woman dying of thirst, then leaned back into her pillows, obviously more at ease. Kate rubbed her arm soothingly.

Suddenly there was a loud commotion outside in the hall.

"I'm her coworker! Doesn't that count?" someone outside the door yelled in a gravelly voice. Kate smiled.

"Do you want me to let Abby in?" she asked quietly, managing to convey that she would understand if the answer was no. Ellie nodded, then winced. "Ok, I'll go get her." Kate squeezed Ellie's upper arm and went to the door. "Abby! Don't worry," she said to a harassed-looking nurse,"Ellie wants to see her." Abby smiled widely and bounced into the room. Ducky followed behind her, but halted just inside the door.

"Clayton, my dear fellow! Would you care to join me for some tea?" Clayton, whose head had snapped up upon hearing his name, sprang out of his chair and practically ran out of the room. Ducky chuckled as he shut the door behind him, and Kate rolled her eyes. Abby hardly noticed. She was already jabbering on about something, talking at a mile a minute.

"When Ducky told me you were in labor at first I didn't believe him, but he insisted it was the truth, and then I was like, 'Oh my gosh! We have to go!' So Ducky started driving us here, but we passed a Babies R Us on the way, and I thought you must not have any baby stuff, so we stopped there and got you a really cute baby carrier. And guess who we saw when we were in there? Gibbs and McGee! They were walking out with a box that said 'Crib' on it, and McGee was carrying a tiny mattress and Gibbs was carrying a set of little baby sheets, and they said they were going to your apartment to put it together and I was like 'Wow, you guys, that's so nice!' And then Gibbs said-"

"Wait wait wait," Ellie said, waving her hands for Abby to stop. "Gibbs and McGee are going to my apartment to build a crib?" Abby nodded, excitement practically bursting out of her.

Kate, however, noticed Ellie's slight frown, and asked quietly," Is that ok? I can text them and tell them to just leave the box in your apartment." Ellie just stared at her. It was once again hitting her that she was having a baby, a _baby_ , that she and Qasim were going to take care of and raise and love. Somewhat ironically, another contraction also hit at that exact moment.

Through a haze of pain, Ellie gasped," Kate! Kate! I'm having a baby! I'm giving birth! Oh my gosh, what am I going to do? I don't know how to be a mother!" Kate nudged Abby to the side and pulled Ellie into a hug, holding Ellie's head against her chest.

"I know, I know, shh, shh, it'll be ok," she murmured, before kissing Ellie on the head as she stroked her blonde hair. "Everything will be all right."

 **A/N:** Did you like this chapter? Please review and let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of these characters

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! You guys are the best!

Cathy Brown: I got the idea from a show called "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" In one of the episodes a woman actually lost weight during her pregnancy, and her stomach was almost flat.

The ride to the hospital was a silent one. The entire time, Qasim stared straight ahead and hardly blinked. From the time he got into the car, he didn't move a muscle until they got to the hospital. Alex kept casting concerned looks in his direction, causing her to swerve a few times, but Qasim didn't react. Nick, however, was another story. He wanted to break the silence, to say something, _anything,_ but for the life of him he couldn't think of anything appropriate, or even mildly inappropriate. He almost spoke a few times when Alex nearly got them in an accident, but she fixed him with a glare through the mirror, so he swallowed and stared out the window, jiggling his legs restlessly.

When Alex parked, Qasim was unbuckled and out of the car in less than five seconds, but then he stopped, unsure of what to do or where to go. Alex and Nick glanced at each other, and Nick shrugged. Alex looked into Qasim's eyes, and he blinked. Then Alex started walking toward the automatic doors at the front of the hospital, and Qasim followed, still staring, but this time it was at Alex's back. She seemed to sense it, and ran a nervous hand through her hair, but she didn't say anything until they got to a desk in the lobby. A nurse looked up as they entered and ran her gaze over Qasim, her nurse's intuition telling her that something was wrong. Alex rested her elbows on the desk, tapping her fingers uneasily.

"Hello, we're looking for Eleanor Naasir, she should be in the maternity ward." The nurse smiled to herself, immediately assuming that Qasim was the father. She'd seen that look on many a man's face.

She scrolled through her computer, then nodded. "Yep, she's right upstairs, second floor, room 21A.'

Alex smiled gratefully, but her shoulders lost none of their tension. "Thank you." She set off toward the elevator, not looking back, and Nick hurried after her. Qasim slowly turned his head after them, and then followed, taking long strides to catch up. Silence once again reigned in the elevator as they were going up, Nick and Alex fidgeting, Qasim absolutely still. Alex stepped out immediately when they got to the second floor, Qasim and Nick trailing along behind her.

"17A, 17B, 19A, 19B, 21A, here it is." Alex cracked the door open and slipped inside. "Ellie?" Kate was standing next to Ellie's bed, and upon hearing Alex's voice she whipped around, looking frazzled. Alex wondered what Ellie could have done to get their normally calm friend in such a harried state, but then Abby popped up into view, apparently from sitting on the ground on the other side of Ellie's bed. Alex had a second to wonder what exactly she had been doing down there, before Kate began to speak, her voice strained.

"Alex? Is Qasim with you?"

Ellie sat up, and Alex noticed for the first time the drug-induced haze over her friend's eyes. She assumed the doctors had given her an epidural. "Qasim?" Ellie slurred, and Qasim was finally knocked out of the trance he had been in for the past thirty minutes.

"Ellie? I'm here." He pushed past Quinn and Torres, and Kate moved away from Ellie's bed to give them space. Abby was not so inclined, and stared at Qasim as he took one of Ellie's hands and held it against his chest. "What is going on? Quinn and Torres said-"

"I'm in labor," Ellie interrupted, her eyes closed from exhaustion. Qasim's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped slightly before he closed his mouth and swallowed. Up until that moment, he hadn't really been able to believe it. Ellie continued,"and I need an ultrasound. I was waiting for you." Next to Quinn, Kate pulled her fists down in a 'yes' gesture, her eyes squeezed shut. She opened the door and stuck her head out.

"Doctor," a man in a white coat stopped in his tracks,"she's ready for an ultrasound." The doctor nodded and swept off to find some technicians. A moment later, he returned with two other men pushing a large, ungainly machine on a cart. Abby didn't look like she was going anywhere anytime soon, so Kate called her name softly. "Abbs." Abby looked up, and Kate jerked her head toward the door. Abby pouted, but moved reluctantly around the bed and out the door. Kate ushered Quinn and Torres out before following. She cast a reassuring smile back at Qasim and Ellie before closing the door behind her.

The doctor rolled up his sleeves and pushed Ellie's hospital gown above her stomach. Then he rubbed some gel onto her smooth skin. It was cold, and Ellie flinched. Qasim cupped the back of her head, and cast a panicky look at the doctor. Seeing no concern in the other man's face, Qasim relaxed as the doctor ran the probe over Ellie's stomach. An image slowly formed on the screen, and Qasim tilted his head. He examined it closely, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. But beside him, Ellie gasped, and he swung his head around to look at her. Her eyes were shining, momentarily free of the daze the drugs had put her in, and she was covering her mouth with her free hand. Qasim looked back at the picture. The blob on the screen was moving, and suddenly, one of the wiggly parts became a hand, and the large round part became a head. Qasim drew in a shaky breath. It was a baby. _His_ baby. The doctor was saying something, and Qasim forced his eyes away from the perfect picture on the screen to listen.

"-appears to be healthy, and an acceptable size, if a bit on the small side. Would you like to know the gender?" Qasim looked to Ellie for an answer. He didn't care, he would love whatever child they were given, indeed, he loved them already, but Ellie nodded. "It's a boy." Qasim's heart, which already felt uncomfortably large, seemed to swell.

"A boy? Ellie whispered in a strangled voice. The doctor nodded.

"Yes, definitely. Do you want a picture?" Qasim nodded vigorously. The doctor nodded at the technicians, then took the probe off of Ellie's stomach and set it to the side. He grabbed a cloth and wiped the gel off of Ellie's skin, then unwrapped a stethoscope from around his neck and listened to Ellie's stomach. He smiled. "He's got a nice, strong heartbeat." Ellie leaned back into her pillows, closed her eyes, and let out a long, slow breath. Qasim couldn't restrain himself. A wide grin broke out over his face, and he grabbed Ellie's hand with the hand he wasn't already holding it with and kissed it. Ellie smiled, her eyes still closed. Qasim turned to the doctor.

"How long until-?" The doctor guessed what he wanted to ask.

"Well, your wife is only five centimeters dilated, and as far as we know she went into labor about three hours ago, so it could be anywhere from three to nine hours. Maybe later." Ellie squeezed Qasim's hand reflexively, the first sign of stress she had exhibited since he had arrived. The doctor continued. "Her water hasn't broken yet, and if it hasn't by the time she is seven centimeters dilated, we would like to perform an amniotomy, which means we would rupture the amniotic sac ourselves to help move the labor along." Ellie squeezed Qasim's hand again. He looked over her attentively.

"What is it, Ellie?" Ellie clenched her jaw, staring directly ahead.

"I don't think that will be necessary." Qasim frowned, unsure of what she was referring to.

"What?" he asked, before seeing something out of the corner of his eye and leaping up, not letting go of Ellie's hand. Something wet and thick was spreading over Ellie's sheet.

"An amniotomy," she hissed, obviously embarrassed. The doctor smiled cheerfully, not surprised or disturbed at all.

"Very good. I'll send some nurses in to help change your sheets and gown, and then your friends can come back, only if you're comfortable, of course." The doctor walked out, and left Ellie and Qasim alone for a moment. Ellie flexed the hand he was holding, staring at her sheets, feeling immensely awkward. Qasim looked down at her and frowned.

"We're going to be parents." Ellie took a deep breath and nodded, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Yep."

Qasim looked up, having been struck by a thought. "We haven't—we don't-" he spluttered.

Ellie interrupted."Gibbs and McGee are at our apartment building a crib. Kate got an infant car seat from her house, as well as some of Leo's old onsies. Abby and Ducky got us a baby carrier, and Kate said that when you got here she would go out and buy diapers and towels and a little bathtub and other baby stuff and drop them off at our apartment." Qasim was taken aback.

"Well, it appears your friends have taken charge of the situation." Ellie smiled and laughed once.

"Yeah, they do that."

A/N: Leo is one of Kate and Gibbs' kids in my AU. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

"Do you think everything's ok?" Abby asked everyone, twisting her hands together and looking anxious. Ducky and Kate had left some time ago, Ducky having recognized some old colleague, and Kate going to buy baby supplies. The others were huddled around a little table in the cafeteria, all looking pale and withdrawn, with the exception of Nick, who only looked mildly concerned, and was lounging back, the front legs of his chair not touching the ground.

"Oh, yeah," Clayton replied hastily. "Ellie looked fine when I left." Alex gave him the evil eye, Kate had told him about his (in her eyes) cowardly retreat from Ellie's room earlier. Abby nodded absently, not reassured.

Nick, noticing Abby's still-preoccupied look, let the front of his chair fall forward.

"Hey it'll be all right, this is Ellie we're talking about," he said soothingly, his accent hardly noticeable as a result of the low voice he was using. "She's probably already planning out a college fund." Abby glanced at him and smiled a little. He smiled back, and Alex glanced between them suspiciously, filing every detail away and deciding to ponder the exchange later. For now, she had more important things to worry about.

"I want to go check on her, but I don't want to interrupt whatever they're doing," she said in a tight, anxious voice. Once again, Nick was a voice of encouragement.

"You should go. They probably forgot all about us." He smiled again, hoping to get a laugh from someone, but Alex just shook her head.

"No, Ellie wouldn't do that. I mean, she must know how worried we are."

Abby nodded vigorously. "Yeah, she would tell us if anything was wrong, so we've got to assume that everything is ok." Nick raised his eyebrows at her.

"I thought science didn't make assumptions," he said jokingly. Abby frowned at him a little.

"It's not science, Nick, it's optimism." Nick lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, and Abby allowed a satisfied smile to grace her features. Alex, however, could not relax. She fidgeted for the next forty-five minutes, until Kate returned and flopped down next to her.

"Is there any news?" she asked after a moment. Alex shook her head.

"No," she said shortly, her shoulders tense. Kate grimaced, and made a small, discontented noise.

"Well, Jethro and Tim are almost done with the crib. One of them actually had the foresight to throw the new sheets in the washing machine, along with some other laundry, so at least Ellie won't have to worry about that." She yawned. "Oh, good grief. It's the middle of the day, I should not be this exhausted."

" _You're_ exhausted?" Clayton asked incredulously. "Ellie must be close to passing out." Kate snorted.

"Trust me, Clayton. I've given birth three times, no matter how tired she is, she is nowhere close to sleeping."

Despite Kate insistence, Ellie was actually very near to unconsciousness. Two nurses had come in shortly after the doctor had left and helped Ellie change her gown and sheets. One had left when Ellie was comfortable, but the other, Nurse Ransom, had stayed behind to monitor Ellie's vital signs and the baby's heartbeat. Qasim was in the corner, using Ellie's phone to call her mom and brothers. They had all demanded to speak to her, but Qasim had politely refused, hoping Ellie would sleep. He didn't know much about birth, or indeed, much about babies at all, but he had seen enough movies to know that things would soon be getting a lot harder.

"Yes, I know, but-excuse me-" Qasim held the phone away from his face as one of Ellie's brothers gave him a piece of their mind. "I have to go, now!" he yelled, then hung up. He rubbed his face, scratching himself on his stubble. Ellie, having been disturbed by his harsh words, began to murmur and frowned in her almost-sleep. Qasim, horrified at himself, hurriedly stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Ellie, everything is all right." Ellie tossed her head on her pillows, beads of sweat beginning to form on her brow.

"Qasim...Chen...have to..."

"Ellie," Qasim said, more insistently this time, as he shook her gently. "Ellie, wake up." Ellie's eyes snapped open and roamed all over the room before landing on Qasim. It seemed to take her a moment to focus on him.

"Qasim?" she asked, before bursting into tears. Qasim was at a loss. Ellie was not a crier, she had only done it once in front of him, when they heard that her brother Robert's wife had miscarried. That time, she had sobbed until she had fallen asleep on his lap. That had been five months ago, and it occurred to him that she must have been four months along by that point. That had been bothering him for a while, and it was a small relief to finally have at least one mystery solved. Qasim, being unable to pull Ellie into his arms, instead just rubbed her back awkwardly until she cried herself down to hiccups and sniffles. "I'm sorry," she said in a tight voice, wiping her face.

"No, Ellie, it's all right, you're overwhelmed, it's ok to cry," Qasim said in a low voice, trying to veil his own confusion. He knew he had failed when his wife smiled tiredly at him.

"I am overwhelmed, but it's more than that." She paused and huffed out her last breath. "Chen went after me to try to get to you when you were close to cracking his code." Qasim looked down, not wanting to relive those dark days. He had spent two months in a coma after being shot, and he knew Ellie had put an end to the man responsible, but whenever he asked, she would never tell him exactly what she had done. Ellie continued. "What if we make some other dangerous, powerful person angry? I know I've put a lot of people in jail." Qasim ran his hand over Ellie's hair. This had occurred to him already, but he hadn't wanted to mention it. He planned to talk to McGee about how he had handled Delilah's fears when they had had Ella, but until then, he knew he had to keep Ellie calm. The baby was coming, no matter what mood she was in, and it would help no one if she had one of her panic attacks mid-push. Suddenly, Ellie groaned, and her eyes glazed over. Nurse Ransom looked up from her clipboard and measured how far dilated Ellie was.

"Ten centimeters," she announced, and Qasim's heart leaped, half in anticipation, half in terror. This was happening. He was going to meet his baby, his wonderful, perfect boy. But Ellie, his beautiful, strong, little Ellie was giving birth, going through some of the worst pain in her life, and he could do nothing but hold her hand. The nurse called for the doctor, and he arrived in short order, sweeping in and rolling up Ellie's gown without preamble.

"All right, Mrs. Naasir," he said calmly. "It will be time to start pushing soon. It will be hard, and it will be painful, but at the end you will get to meet your baby." Ellie's face was scrunched and her muscles were tensed to the point that her upper body raised off of the bed, and Qasim could tell she wasn't listening. She fell back onto her pillows and let out a long, low keening noise. At first Qasim couldn't tell that she was saying anything, but after a moment, he could make out one word being repeated over and over.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy," she was moaning. For one moment, Qasim felt an insane urge to laugh. Then Ellie squeezed his hand with what seemed like all of the strength in her small body as another contraction hit her, and the urge promptly disappeared.

"Ellie," he gasped, trying to pry her fingers off of him. "Ellie, you're hurting me."

" _I'm_ hurting _you_?" Ellie shrieked. " _You_ did this to me!" Qasim floundered for a response, but then Ellie collapsed back onto her bed, the contraction having passed, and he decided to stay silent.

A/N: Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed!

Unable to stand the silence, Kate was rattling off a list of everything she had bought for Ellie to Quinn and Abby while Reeves and Torres stared straight ahead, saying nothing. "And tiny socks," she was saying, "and _lots_ of diapers-" Suddenly, Kate's phone rang, cutting off her recitation. "It's Ellie," she said excitedly. Abby and Quinn's attention sharpened instantly. "Hello?" Kate paused and frowned. "Qasim? Hold on-slow down-I-yes, I understand-I'll be right there." Kate hung up and quickly started to gather her things.

"Kate," Quinn growled, frustrated at her friend's silence. "What's going on, is Ellie ok?"

"Ah, Ellie's pushing, and Qasim wants me to come up and help keep her calm," Kate answered without looking up, searching for her keys.

"That's it?" Abby asked, disappointed. Kate looked up at her.

"When I had my kids, I was crying the whole time for my mom, especially when I had the twins. I guess, right now, I'm the closest thing Ellie has."

"You think Ellie sees you as a mother figure?" Quinn asked, squinting incredulously.

"I am eleven years older than her, Alex, and I'm married to her boss. I'm not exactly her peer." Kate answered, trying to be sarcastic, but the nervousness in her tone ruined it.

"Yeah, I guess there is that," Alex said, more to herself than to Kate, glancing to the side. Kate patted her pockets and nodded to herself.

"Ok, I'll text you when I can," she told Abby and Alex. They both nodded, staring after her as she swept away.

Two minutes later, Kate knocked on the door to Ellie's room. She heard Qasim yell, "Come in!" and quietly slipped inside.

"Hey," she said to Qasim. "How is she?"

"Get—him—out—of—me!" Ellie screamed through clenched teeth, making an answer unnecessary.

Kate nodded, taken aback. "All right, Ellie, he'll be out soon."

"Kate?" Ellie gasped. "Kate?" She twisted her head to see Kate standing about five feet from her bed. "Kate!" She burst into tears. Kate hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Ellie's hand. "It hurts so bad, Kate, why does it hurt so much?" Ellie sobbed as the doctor ordered her to push. She obeyed as well as she could, the tendons on her neck standing out like ropes. Kate rubbed her back soothingly.

"I know, I know," she said soothingly. "But it'll be over soon, I promise." Ellie continued as if Kate hadn't spoken.

"Why is he doing this to me? Is something wro-" Her last word was cut off as the doctor told her to push again. Ellie cried out and arched her back.

"No, no, no, Ells, don't arch like that, just lie back, everything will be over soon," Kate said quickly, panic just barely seeping into her tone. It was irrational to worry, she told herself. Babies are born all the time, every day. But Ellie was whimpering with every breath, and it was becoming more difficult for Kate to stay rational. Qasim had crossed to the other side of Ellie's bed and grabbed her other hand. He glanced up at Kate, terror all over his face. Kate took a deep breath as Ellie was told to push again.

"I can see the head!" the doctor announced. Qasim's eyes brightened, and suddenly anticipation was the primary emotion on his face. But Ellie hadn't seemed to hear him, and kept her teeth clenched and her eyes squeezed shut.

"All right, Mrs. Naasir-"

" _Agent_ Naasir!" Ellie shrieked. The doctor blinked and then continued.

"Agent Naasir, I need one big push from you, and the worst will be over." Ellie shook her head, eyes still shut. Qasim frowned at her, confused.

"Ellie, you have to-"

"Don't tell me what I _have to do_ , Qasim Naasir," Ellie said through gritted teeth. "I will push when I'm ready. This baby is not the boss of me." Kate tried not to smile.

"Actually, Ellie, right now he or she is calling the shots." Ellie grunted something unintelligible. "What was that?" Kate asked.

"He. It's a boy," Ellie answered quietly. She took a deep breath. "Ok, I'm ready." Qasim smiled, the relief evident on his face. Again, Kate attempted to hold back a smile. Ellie slowly let out her breath through her nose. Then she pushed, hard, squeezing Kate and Qasim's hands as she did so.

In the cafeteria, Abby visibly relaxed as Gibbs appeared at the door. "Gibbs! Over here!" she called, waving. Gibbs walked over to the table, McGee trailing along behind him. Gibbs sat down in the chair Kate had left, and McGee sat down next to Clayton, who hadn't moved or said anything for nearly ninety minutes.

"Hey, Abbs, where's Kate?" Gibbs asked softly after giving Abby a kiss on the cheek.

"She went up to help Ellie. Qasim called her and asked her to come," Abby answered cheerfully. Suddenly, she felt much better now that Gibbs was here. Gibbs wouldn't let anything happen to Ellie.

At that moment, Nick and Quinn returned from getting coffee. "Hey, Gibbs," Nick said in greeting. "Hey, McGee." McGee nodded at him.

"Did you finish the crib?" Quinn asked as she sat down on Gibbs' other side.

"Would we be here if we hadn't?" Gibbs asked menacingly. Normally, that tone would scare Quinn into silence, but now she just glared, before taking a sip of her coffee. Abby kissed Nick on the cheek, then happily slurped the Caf-Pow he had brought her. Quinn reached and offered Clayton his coffee, but he just shook his head, so Gibbs snatched it from Quinn's hand and took a gulp, the first sign of anxiety he had shown the whole time.

"So, what's the news?" Tim asked nervously, after a moment of silence. Alex sighed discontentedly.

"No news," she said. "Not yet."

"Kate said she'd text us," Abby interjected. "I guess she hasn't had time." Gibbs smirked, remembering when Kate had had their children. He certainly hadn't had time to text anyone, even if he knew how. McGee also chuckled a little, obviously reliving his own memories. Everyone was quiet for several seconds, and Abby glanced around skittishly, not liking the new, somber mood clinging to the table.

"Guys, she's ok." They all looked up at her. Abby smiled slightly and continued. "I mean, this is Ellie, former NSA spy. And, Kate's there. She won't let anything happen."

"Ok, one, Ellie wasn't a spy, and two, I don't think Kate has any medical training, Abby," Tim said glumly.

"Well, no, she doesn't, but she's _Kate._ Kate never let's anything hurt Ellie. She's like a gun-carrying lipstick-wearing mama bear around Ellie. Everything will be _fine._ " Abby leaned back in her chair and took another sip of Caf-Pow, obviously at great ease. Nick stared at her for a moment, then smiled slightly and drank his coffee. Gibbs also stared at her, more amused than surprised.

"'Mama bear,' Abbs?" Abby nodded.

"Yeah. Haven't you noticed? Ever since Ellie got shot in the vest a few months after joining NCIS, Kate has barely let her out of her sight." Gibbs raised his eyebrows, skeptical. "Come on, Gibbs! Remember how she wanted to tie Jake up in Autopsy and make Ducky pretend to cut him up?" Gibbs blinked. "Didn't you know about that?"

"No, Abby, I did not." A grin was spreading across Gibbs features. "But thanks for telling me." Alex glowered at them, wondering how they could be teasing each other at a time like this, but an image of Kate the Bear tying Ellie's ex to an autopsy table and growling at him until he cried came to mind, and she couldn't restrain her own, small, smile.

"Yeah, Ellie's fine," she said, trying to believe it.

A/N: Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I think there will be one more chapter after this, and my first story will be finished.

Qasim's eyes bulged as his wife practically crushed his hand into mush. He just barely kept himself from squealing as Ellie pushed with all the strength she had left. On the other side of the bed, Kate was faring slightly better, as she had had a better grip on Ellie's hand before the doctor told her to push.

Ellie was screaming through her teeth and tears and sweat were pouring down her face, and her jaw clenched as she struggled to push a small, new life out of her body. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of pain, Ellie felt a huge relief as she felt the baby's head finally came out.

"That's it, Agent Naasir, the head is out now. Little pushes now, little pushes." Ellie fell back into her pillows. For a moment, Qasim thought she had fainted, but then she blinked her eyes open and obeyed the doctor, grunting with every push.

Then, after a few seconds that seemed like years, a piercing wail rang through the room. Qasim's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. His brain seemed to have short-circuited. Ellie took a deep, shuddering breath and struggled to keep her eyes open as the doctor lifted a warm squirming bundle onto her chest. She let go of Kate's hand and gently touched the small, perfect face that was now inches from her own. She became aware that there were tears streaming down her face, but she didn't care.

Qasim was staring, he couldn't help it. He couldn't seem to move, either. He just watched as a nurse dried off the baby ( _his_ baby, he still couldn't believe it) and gave him a little hat to keep him warm, and as the doctor gave him a short examination. Qasim watched the man closely, his heart clenching in terror at every expression he made, but after a moment the doctor gave a satisfied nod and stepped back down to the end of the bed, where he picked up some surgical scissors and examined the placement of where another nurse had tied off the umbilical cord. Noticing Qasim's stare, the doctor smiled and offered him the scissors. It took a moment for Qasim to understand, but when he did, he shook his head mutely. Instead, he watched as the doctor cut the cord with practiced ease and handed the scissors back to the nurse to be cleaned.

"Qasim," Ellie said quietly. "Look at him. He's so beautiful." She looked around, and saw her husband staring at her and the baby ( _their_ baby). Then Ellie smiled, and Qasim thought she had never looked so beautiful. He smiled back, still wonderstruck, then without warning he grabbed her face and pulled her into a passionate kiss. After a moment he pulled back, leaving Ellie breathless, and with infinite tenderness, he kissed his son on the forehead. Then he looked back up at Ellie.

"Eleanor Naasir, you are wonderful." Ellie smiled tiredly, tears in her eyes. She cupped Qasim's cheek with the hand that wasn't supporting their son, then looked back down at her baby.

"Oh my gosh," she said suddenly, a slight frown on her face. "What should we name him?" Qasim stared at her, then back down at the baby before swallowing.

"Um, I don't know. I hadn't really thought that far," he responded sheepishly. Honestly he hadn't, there hadn't really been time between contractions to think seriously about baby names. He racked his brains as Ellie watched him, clearly waiting for an answer. "Do you...want an Arabic name, or an English one?"

"Arabic," she answered promptly and with certainty. "But not Rasheed."

"No, definitely not," Qasim answered hastily. They would certainly not be naming his son after his terrorist brother. "Do you like...Salim?"

"Salim Naasir," Ellie said to herself, feeling the name on her tongue. It sounded nice. "What does it mean?" Qasim considered before answering, there were a few different translations it could have.

"Safe," he decided, infusing confidence into his voice. Ellie glanced at him with uncertainty, remembering their earlier conversation about what would happen if someone tried to go after their baby. But Qasim smiled reassuringly, and she knew he was thinking about it, too.

"It seems appropriate." Qasim and Ellie both jumped, and Kate smiled to herself. They had obviously forgotten she was there. "I am fairly certain that NCIS babies are the most well-protected babies on the planet." Ellie frowned incredulously.

"What about the President's kids?" she asked skeptically. Kate smirked.

"I used to protect the President's kids, Ellie. And then when Maura and Eloise were newborns, and later when Leo was born, I got a firsthand look at the one-man Gibbs protection detail. It's far more exact than even the actual presidential detail. Trust me, Salim will be the most fiercely protected baby in the U.S." Ellie smiled a little, and Kate smiled back reassuringly. Qasim breathed easier, now feeling perfectly secure in the knowledge that no harm would be allowed to come to his son as long as Ellie's team was alive.

Suddenly, the newly-named Salim screeched, and both of his parents looked down at him in panic.

"What's wrong? Why is he crying?" Qasim asked, his voice an octave higher than normal. Kate, the nurses, and even the doctor all smiled privately at the new father's obvious fear.

"Maybe he's hungry, Qasim," Kate answered, laughter in her voice. Ellie and Qasim frowned uncomprehendingly.

"So, what do I—oh," Ellie said, before glancing down at Salim's scrunched face. She cleared her throat, embarrassed. Kate smiled, remembering her own confusion when Maura and Eloise had first needed to feed. Qasim glanced between them, still not understanding. Upon noticing this, Kate rolled her eyes and stepped forward. She helped Ellie settle little Salim in the right position, and smiled at Ellie's squeak when he began feeding. Qasim blinked and stared. Ellie glanced up at him and blushed.

"Qasim," she said sharply. He swallowed and blinked again. Ellie raised her eyebrows.

"I'm just, ah, I'm going to get some water," he said in a rush before fleeing from the room. Kate laughed as Ellie turned red.

"He's smart, it's never a good idea to mess with a woman who has just given birth," she said after calming down a bit. Ellie glared at her, but she couldn't stop a smile from breaking over her features. She looked down at Salim, and ran a hand over his soft hair. Kate noticed the tender gesture, and said quietly, "He's beautiful, Ellie." Ellie looked up at her, a shaky smile on her face. After a moment, Kate blinked and straightened. "Oh! I forgot, Alex has probably broken something by now." _Or someone,_ she thought, exasperated. She took out her phone. "Can I text her and tell her everything is all right?" Ellie considered.

"She's going to run up here and break the door down, if Abby doesn't beat her to it," Ellie said, looking down at Salim with a reluctant look on her face. She wanted more time alone with him and Qasim, assuming her husband came back from 'getting water' anytime soon. Kate understood, but she also knew the worry that their friends were feeling.

"What if I told her that they could only visit one at a time, and only for a few minutes?" she asked gently. Ellie grimaced, but she knew that if she said no her friends would probably take someone hostage, or do something similarly dramatic, and illegal. So she nodded. Kate grinned and started typing rapidly.

Downstairs, Alex had been staring absently at Clayton for fifteen minutes, and it was really starting to disturb him. Just as he was about to ask her what the heck she was looking at, her phone vibrated and everyone jumped. Alex whipped out the device and read the text Kate had sent her.

"So?" Abby asked, bouncing in her chair. Alex smiled and covered her mouth. "What?" Abby was almost whining now.

"Uh, Ellie had the baby, she says we can come see him-" Gibbs was already out of his chair moving toward the door. Abby was next to him and Tim was right behind them. "One at a time!" Alex called as she hurried to catch up, Nick and Clayton moving more slowly behind her. She glanced back at them. "Hey, Flash, Lightening, come on!" she yelled, earning odd looks from half of the cafeteria. Nick and Clayton sped up, and Alex ushered them into the elevator before squeezing in herself.

A/N: In this AU, Maura and Eloise are Kate and Gibbs' oldest kids, and they are twins. Leo is six years younger than them. One more chapter to go! Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of these characters (except Salim, but he doesn't really do anything except be born and passed around).

This is the end I think. Thanks to everyone who read it, especially to everyone who has been reading since I posted the first chapter. I hope you like this last chapter.

Confession time: Yes, I got the name Maura from Rizzoli and Isles, because why not.

Qasim was having an internal debate. He wanted to go back into the room and be with his wife and son, his two treasures, but at the same time, he was (only slightly) terrified to say or do anything that might make Ellie mad again. She had never glared at him so ferociously before, and if Ellie was upset at him, he was certain that Kate would already be contemplating the best ways to kill him. He was standing outside of Ellie's room, trying to work up the courage to walk in, when he became aware of several pairs of feet pounding down the hallway towards him. After a moment, a diverse group of people came around the corner, all with determined and excited looks on their faces.

First was Alex, and she looked more anxious than any of the others. If Kate was the mother-figure of the team, Alex was the oldest sister, the sarcastic worrier. Next came Abby, the youngest sister, bouncing and grinning widely. Gibbs, the proud father-figure and disciplinarian, had a hand on the small of her back and was gently pushing her in the right direction. McGee, Torres, and Reeves were trailing behind him, the grownup little brothers, all still in awe of their dad.

Qasim grinned when he saw them approaching, aware that most other men would be terrified of a horde of gun-carrying federal agents storming toward them, but he didn't see them like that. They were Ellie's family, a family he had become a part of, and a family that had just grown.

Abby saw him first, and she ran down the hall and pulled him into a crushing hug.

"Congratulations! This is so great! Is Ellie ok? Can I go in?"

Qasim wasn't given any opportunity to answer as McGee and Torres both slapped him on the back, knocking the wind out of him, but Abby slipped by him and into Ellie's room anyway. Alex grimaced and huffed, sounding frustrated, as she had hoped to go in first, but she was soon distracted when the rest of the team tried to dart into the room.

"Hey! Ellie said one at a time!" Clayton tried to duck under her outstretched arms, but she swatted him back. "One at a time," she growled, with a blazing look that was almost reminiscent of Kate. Gibbs stepped forward through his agents and glared at Alex when she blocked his way. Qasim, who had been observing silently, cleared his throat nervously.

"Um, Agent Quinn, could I please-?" Alex stared at him uncomprehendingly, then she jumped a little and stepped to the side to let him in. Qasim smiled falteringly, and quickly slipped by into the room. He knew Ellie would want him to close the door behind him, but his courage failed him when Gibbs narrowed his eyes at him. Qasim gulped and hurried to Ellie bed. Alex, though, shut the door, unimpressed by Gibbs' glare.

Abby was holding Salim very carefully, still jabbering on about how wonderful everything was. Kate's arms were crossed, and she was chewing her lip, clearly anxious, as she watched Abby like a hawk. Ellie was smiling at Abby's antics, but after a moment she reached for Salim. Abby pouted and kissed the baby on the nose before giving him back to his mother.

"He's really cute, Ellie," she said softly.

Qasim was conflicted. Ellie clearly wanted to hold on to their son as much as she could, and he didn't want to ask her to give him up even for a moment, but he wanted to hold his baby, too. Only Abby noticed the indecisive look twisting his face. "Are you all right?" Ellie looked up at him, scrutinizing his expression. She hadn't paid him much attention since he had entered the room a few moments ago, but now she could tell that something was definitely bothering her husband.

"What's up?" she asked quietly, knowing a private conversation was impossible. Qasim hesitated.

"Nothing." Ellie narrowed her eyes, and Qasim shrank a little. "I just-may I hold him?" Ellie stared at him, bemused.

"He's your baby, too, Qasim. Here-" She held out the baby. "Support his head. That's right." Salim was lighter than Qasim expected him to be. As he was holding him, Salim yawned, opening his mouth wider than Qasim would have thought possible. Qasim smiled at his son, his eyes full of wonder. Kate gripped Ellie's shoulder, but this time it wasn't out of anxiety. Ellie looked up at her, and Kate smiled. Then she pulled Ellie against her in a tight embrace, tucking her head under her chin, and kissed the top of her head with a smacking noise. Ellie scrunched her nose and tried to duck out of Kate's hug, slapping her arms without any real force. Kate, perfectly aware of what Ellie was doing, squeezed her tighter, only now she was just teasing. After a moment, Kate ruffled Ellie's hair and finally let go. Ellie gasped dramatically and glared at Kate, who only grinned innocently at her.

Abby wanted to stay longer, but she also wanted everyone else to meet Salim and see for themselves how wonderfully perfect he was. So, reluctantly, she backed out of Ellie's room unnoticed. Alex instantly rushed inside, unable to ease the anxiety that she knew would clench at her stomach until she saw Ellie herself. As soon as she entered the room, Alex relaxed her tense shoulders, smiling at the scene before her. Qasim was handing Salim back to Ellie with infinite care, biting his lip, trying to slip the baby's head into Ellie's hand without jolting him. Kate was also biting her lip, but she was trying not to smile at Qasim's obvious nervousness.

Kate was the first person in the room to see Alex, and she stepped away from Ellie's bed to whisper, "Ellie's fine. She did great, and the doctor said that Salim is perfectly healthy." Alex nodded, grateful for Kate's reassurance. She moved to step up to Ellie's bed, but Kate grabbed her arm. "I've got to go pick up Leo from day-care, and the twins' school will be out soon. Just," She lowered her voice, gazing fondly at Ellie holding Salim, "Keep an eye on her, please? I'm not worried," she added hastily when Alex opened her mouth. "I just know she'll probably leave and forget her clothes, or her purse, or something along those lines." Alex nodded and cracked a smile. Kate squeezed Alex's arm before finally letting go, and quietly exited the room. Ellie heard the door close and looked up, to see Alex. Her face brightened.

"Hey, Alex!" Alex stepped forward, trying not to move too suddenly.

"Hey," she responded quietly, a huge smile on her face. "How are you? Did everything go ok?" Ellie tilted her head in a 'so-so' gesture.

"Yeah. It hurt. Like, a lot. But I'm good. And he's worth it." She nodded down at Salim with love and gentleness in her eyes. Alex smiled, finally completely satisfied that her best friend was ok, and that she was happy with the drastic turn of events. She looked up at Qasim.

"How about you? How are you handling it?" Qasim shrugged his shoulders, a sheepish look on his face.

"I am-a bit overwhelmed. But Ellie is right. Salim is worth it." Alex looked up upon hearing the name again.

"Salim," she repeated. "That's a nice name. What does it mean?"

"Safe," Ellie said, gazing at the sleeping face of her son. Alex nodded, satisfied.

"Well, that's appropriate." Ellie looked up at her, a curious look on her face. Alex interpreted the look as confusion, and hurried to elaborate. "Because he will be safe." Ellie smiled radiantly.

"I know. Kate said almost the exact same thing." Alex blinked.

"So I'm channeling Kate now? Great. Soon I'll be singing on bars*," she said with a grin, expecting Ellie to laugh. But she didn't, to Alex's confusion. Instead she just looked uncomfortable. Alex winced. "Hey, Gibbs."

"Quinn," he said in his gruff, unreadable voice. "Are you almost done? You're not the only one who wants to meet the kid." Alex nodded without turning around, her shoulders tight, and Ellie snorted.

"You may as well all come in, Gibbs, I can hear McGee gritting his teeth." McGee's response was instantaneous from outside the door.

"You can not!" Ellie grinned.

"You can come in, Tim. You guys, too," she added, looking back down at Salim. She knew that Clayton and Nick were hiding just outside, probably waiting to stage a surprise offensive to force themselves into the room. Tim, Nick, and Clayton shuffled in, Nick and Clayton looking sheepish and hoping that Ellie hadn't noticed them crouching, ready to spring into her hospital room. Abby breezed in behind them, happy to come back in so soon. Ellie frowned, doing a mental headcount. "Where's Ducky?"

"I'm here, my dear," Ducky huffed as he bustled in. "Kate found me on her way out and brought me up to speed." A smile grew on his face when he saw Salim bundled up in Ellie's arms. "Well done, Eleanor." Ellie grinned at him.

"You want to hold him, Ducky?"

"I would indeed, may I?" he asked, and took the baby with practiced ease when Ellie nodded. A proud look crossed his face when he looked down at his newest honorary grandchild. "Kate said you named him Salim?" Ellie nodded, smiling upon hearing the name. "Meaning 'safe,' or 'secure,'" Ducky explained to the room at large. "Which is certainly appropriate, given the people who will care for him."

Ellie was stunned, and she glanced at Qasim, silently asking for confirmation of what she thought she had just heard. He raised his eyebrows at her, smiling slightly. He had certainly noticed the seemingly uncanny number of times they had heard that phrase in the past half-hour, but he wasn't complaining. Ducky continued. "Indeed, my dear young Salim, your family at NCIS will always make sure you are safe and secure." Ellie glanced around the room, searching her friends' faces, and seeing the affirmation of Ducky's statement in all of their eyes, tears welled up behind her eyes. She grabbed Qasim's hand and squeezed it, and he smiled down at her before wrapping his other arm around her shoulder.

Ducky walked around the room with Salim, and not trusting Nick or Clayton to hold him, he only allowed the two men to touch the baby's tiny fingers. Then he handed Salim to Gibbs, who smiled gently down at the infant, and held him out in front of him as though measuring him up. When he nodded in a satisfied manner, Alex rolled her eyes, but Ellie grinned, strangely relieved.

"You surprised us, kid." Nick and Clayton's mouths dropped open, but everyone else grinned upon hearing Gibbs quiet rebuke. Abby hugged Nick, unable to contain herself anymore. She just had to hug _somebody._ Nick was slow in returning her embrace, he was still staring, dumbfounded, at his boss, the toughest man he had ever met, making cooing noises at a baby. Tim clapped a hand on Clayton's shoulder, holding in a laugh at the British agent's identical, dumbstruck, expression. Qasim, though, did chuckle at what he considered to be the understatement of the century.

"He certainly did," Ellie said softly. Gibbs turned to her, and strode over to her bed to give her Salim. She took her baby, and leaned back into Qasim. "Yes you did," she said to Salim in the same tone. Then she looked up and smiled at the people who were all like family to her, before smiling down at the surprise addition that they had all received with love.

*I have a headcanon that Kate, at some point, was forced to get up on a bar and sing to be a distraction for some reason. I haven't written it yet, but I fully intend to.

A/N: I think I'll come back to Salim, and I will definitely be writing more Ellie/Qasim at some point, but this story is done. Thanks for reading, please review!


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